New Cigarette Retail Policy Takes Effect, Making New York Cigarette Prices the Highest in the U.S.

 　　The sharp increase in the cost of applying for a cigarette sales license will make it harder for smokers in New York to buy cigarettes, but it is expected to help reduce the city’s smoking rate.

  　　A series of new changes to New York City’s retail licensing regulations will take place this year, with the first batch coming into effect this month. Stores holding cigarette sales licenses that have expired may apply for renewal within a one-month period, but the application fee will rise significantly, from $110 to $200. The business group Newsstand Operators Association said the new regulations will make cigarettes harder to buy and are expected to lower the citywide smoking rate, though retailers will need to adapt to the changes.   　　According to The Wall Street Journal, the city’s Department of Consumer Affairs will not accept applications for cigarette retail licenses after February 24, and selling cigarettes without a sales license will be illegal. New York City’s new regulations will make it harder for smokers to buy cigarettes. The picture shows two women smoking on a street in Manhattan.   　　Many retail stores took advantage of the period before the new policy was implemented and actively applied to the city’s consumer affairs department for cigarette sales licenses. From October to December last year, the city received 569 applications, far more than the 335 applications received during the same period the year before.   　　An attorney for the Newsstand Operators Association said that implementing the new policy and increasing the application fees for cigarette sales licenses will result in some retail stores being unable to sell cigarettes legally.   　　The new cigarette retail regulations signed by Mayor de Blasio in August last year are intended to cut the number of cigarette retail licenses citywide by half. At present, New York City has issued about 8,300 cigarette sales licenses, down from 12,300 fifteen years ago. New York City’s new regulations will make it harder for smokers to buy cigarettes. The picture shows two men smoking on a street in Manhattan.   　　Stores that sell e-cigarettes must also apply separately for a license, and applications must be submitted by April 25. Applicants must prove they held a license to sell e-cigarettes before August 28 of last year. Starting August 23 this year, selling e-cigarettes without a license will be illegal. The city also stipulates that all pharmacies and stores selling medicines may not sell e-cigarettes. So far, 539 businesses have applied for permission to sell e-cigarettes.   　　The city health department said that about 900,000 people in New York City smoke, including 15,000 young people, and the city’s goal is to reduce the smoking population by another 160,000 within three years.   　　About 12,000 people in New York die each year from smoking. Deputy Health Commissioner Sonia Angell believes that increasing the prices of tobacco products and reducing cigarette retail outlets will help reduce the number of smokers. New York City’s new regulations will make it harder for smokers to buy cigarettes. The picture shows a man smoking on a street in Manhattan.   　　However, some retail stores and retail industry groups say New York City’s new cigarette retail policy will reduce their income. Kevin, president of the New York Association of Convenience Stores in Albany, the capital of New York State, said cigarette sales account for 5% to 20% of a retailer’s gross revenue, and that level of income is especially important for owners preparing to sell their stores. Kevin said that if he were preparing to sell a store, but the buyer did not know whether they could continue selling cigarettes that had previously been allowed, the value of his store would fall in the buyer’s eyes.   　　The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs stipulates that cigarette sales licenses may not be transferred. However, if a new owner applies for a cigarette sales license after taking over a store, and the previous owner had operated it well, the new owner may be exempt from the community cap on cigarette sales licenses, provided the exemption application is submitted within 30 days of the store transfer.   　　The policy of setting caps on cigarette sales licenses by community took effect this month, with the aim of reducing the number of cigarette retail outlets within communities.